1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrochemical cells. More particularly, it relates to electrochemical cells having a light metal anode, a non-aqueous electrolyte of solvent and solute, and a bismuth (III) sulfide cathode.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art discloses many high energy density battery systems which employ a light metal anode in combination with non-aqueous, organic electrolyte solution and a metal sulfide cathode.
A search revealed the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,723 issued to K. G. Wuttke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,052 issued to M. S. Whittingham, U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,958 issued to G. H. Newman and U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,669 issued to J. J. Auborn.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,723 discloses an improvement in a button type galvanic cell. The galvanic cells disclosed employ a wide variety of anode, cathode and electrolyte materials. The anodes disclosed are light metals. The cathode materials disclosed are carbon fluoride and the oxides, fluorides, sulfides, phosphates, and chromates of metals such as iron, copper, nickel, silver, vanadium and tungsten.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,052 discloses a high energy battery which can employ a light metal anode. The cathode is a material having the formula MZ.sub.x, wherein M is titanium, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, tantalum or vanadium, Z is sulfur, selenium or tellurium and X is a numerical value between 1.8 and 2.1.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,958 discloses the use of a non-aqueous battery of an electrolyte comprising a solute dissolved in a solvent of nitrobenzene or a substituted nitrobenzene compound. The preferred anode materials disclosed are lithium, sodium and potassium. The cathode materials disclosed include silver chloride, chloride, nickel fluoride, cadmium chloride, lead chloride, cadmium fluoride, cuprous chloride, cupric fluoride, lead difluoride, cupric chloride, cupric sulfide, silver oxide, cupric oxide, manganese dioxide and lead oxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,669 discloses an electrochemical cell having an oxidizable active anode material, a solid metallic cathode current collector, and an electrolytic solution between the anode and the cathode current collector. The cathode is a solid non-consumable electrically conducting, inert current collector upon the surface of which the inorganic solid is electrochemically reduced. Listed among the many current collector materials is the element bismuth. However, the current collector of this reference does not take part in the electrochemical reaction.